Dustin Penner Signs One Year Contract with the L.A. Kings

It may become official as I type this, but it’s not yet. The L.A. Kings have signed Dustin Penner to a one year contract. The dollar terms are not yet known although I will guess $3.2 to $3.5 (update: it’s official. $3.25 million)

I am happy about this. The length is right and allows Penner to prove that the last 15-20 games of the season and the playoffs is a better indicator of his skills and work ethic. It also leaves Dean Lombardi with options after next season (and even during the season) if Dustin Penner falls into his old habits. Think about it logically and you see this deal as a “contract year do-over” for Dustin Penner. Not too often you get a second chance of this magnitude in life.

Either way, we got our Stanley Cup team back, intact. Not many teams have been able to claim that in recent memory. As we get details, I will post it.

There is an X-Factor here. Pens will have a fully engaged, no bullshit coach kicking his Ass the second he comes to camp. My guess is he’ll respond to the beat down and we’ll get the player we know exists inside. He flops, and he’s on the first horse outta Dodge City at the trade deadline. A Win-Win I must say.

I think one year is more than fair and I suspect Penner knows that, given how poorly he performed for most of his tenurre. I think Sutter is the right kind of coach for him and from what other playrs (Inginla, Roenick, etc. ) have said about him, you dont’t want to be on his bad side. We all saw how motivated the players are to perform for him.
I wonder where he’ll slot? Gagne is a much more skilled player , and having seen him play one and off for 5 years with Richards, I know how good they are togther and felt cheated last year . Major fail on TM’s part for waiting 22 games b4 Richards and Gagne had their first reg. shift togethe4r, 2 games b4 richards concussion. So they never really played together.
Gagne when healthy and with MR feeding him (always found him, great chemistry) can put up a lot of goals, I hope he gets that chance. He’s a very skilled skater and scorer.
I have no problem with Penner playing with Lewis and Stoll
And as much as i hope Gagne stays healthy, his luck doesn’t run that way. And Penner will probably end up on the 2nd at some point.
Also, that 1 year deal allows for next year, some of the young talent in manchester to get their shot.

Couldn’t agree more. Actually see Penner and Gagne sitting down a few games while the youngsters get some more ice time. If both can stay in shape it won’t hurt them to keep the mileage off. Can’t see these vets crying about their roles.

Are you fuckin kidding me Lombardi. I understood re-signing Fraser, the 4th line was solidified when he was in the line up. But Stoll who took a “hometown” discount at what a $250k reduction for 21 points and now Penner at a $750k reduction for another year for 18 points. That’s 6.5 million for 13 goals and 39 points. I get it, Stoll is great at face offs and is a great penalty killer, but $3.25M. And Penner at $3.25 for another hopefully better year, and he doesnt even play on specialty teams. I thought this was the year that Kings would be a player in free agency and land the bigger fish. So no Parise, no Jiri Hudler, no big free agent….again.

Obviously Lombardi cannot be knocked because he has a Cup, but I agree that Penner and Stoll were overpaid for underperforming. Although the 1 year deal for Penner is ideal, the Kings really could have solidified themselves as a wrecking ball for years to come with Parise, Hudler, or even Doan would have been nice for 2-3 years.

Anyway, at the moment I still have on my Stanley Cup Champions shirt, but I don’t want to get complacent.

Don’t get me wrong, Kings won the cup, but they got to the playoffs as an 8th seed. I know there’s still Cup hangover, but do you want Lombardi to sit on his laurels. For every Richards and Carter trade, there’s a McAuley, Blake, Calder, Preissing, Nagy, Thornton, Stuart, Ponikorovski signing or Modin, Penner, and Cloutier trade.

I don’t know about you, but I rather have a team year in and year out that is competing for a Stanley Cup and not just a lower seeded that team that might make a run in the playoffs.

I don’t understand your point, they are a team that will compete year in and year out for the cup. They finished 2 points behind the division champ and underachieved (mostly due to Terry Murray) until late Feb. From March 1 ot the end of the reg season, they were the second highest scoring team in the league behind Pittsburgh and had the lowest goals against. They took that thru the playoffs. That is the real Kings, Sutter’s team, the team you’ll be seeing going forward. Pitts is the only team that can match them down the middle and that’s HUGE. Per Pierre LeBrun at the end of the 1st series, nobody in the playoffs can match the Kings top 2 centers dominating 200 feet of ice. And he’s right. You add Quick, Doughty, top ranked D, Carter and co…goals, poinst , wins, deep playoff runs.
Sutter demands the best,and they respond to hiim and that won’t change.

I noticed that you didnt mention anything about Penner or Stoll, which is my primary argument. We’ve resigned and overpaid for 2 players that were on everyone’s shit list last year for lack of production. So spending 6.5m for two 3rd line players who can be replaced by young players withon the system, ie Loktionov and King is acceptable. Lets forget Stoll since his value can be measured through intagibles. Your telling me that Penner is better than King as far as upside.

The returning roster with Carter, Penner and Stoll (with Sutter) was 29-9-3. Penner and Stoll were huge parts of that resurgence. That is a not an 8th seed.

Terry Murray was a terrible motivator. He was a simple teacher and was kept too long, he has a two year shelf life and was saved by Kopitar’s injury.

Penner averages over 20 goals per season in the NHL, let me know when King gets to 10. King isn’t ready for the pressure of the top six, which is why he was replaced by Penner in the playoffs and flourished as a third line winger. Penner keeps King in the bottom six to grow and create matchup problems with other teams. The Kings could ice a fourth line of King-Fraser-Nolan, that is a matchup nightmare for other teams. Especially ones that still dress an enforcer.

Loktionov is nowhere near being ready for 82 games in the NHL. He’s not built for the bottom six.

You always have valid comments, and so I want to ask your opinion. Lokti is a favorite of mine. Due to his size(or lack of), do you think he will ever mske it as a regular for our Kings?
GO KINGS GO!!!
WWTC!!!

Exactly. We can’t afford to pay anyone that kind of money unless it’s Stamkos or Malkin and since that’s not going to happen we should go after Alexander Semin for a short contract and look at who is available next year.

Penner has a deal that is win-win for him and the Kings. This is his redemption to prove he has some real fire in his belly. Sutter gets a chance to motivate the guy starting in the pre-season. We can see if Penner really has that chemistry with Richards and Carter. Penner seems to have the luck of the Irish or something like that, because, the guy has two cups already, where so many great teams and players have zip. Not only all of that, but he walks away with still a boat load of money win, lose or draw. If he has a super year with great numbers, he can land big fish deal for himself for another contract with the Kings. This deal should therefore really be a great motivator for him to get the job done for the team and his own wallet.

I’d like the Kings to go after MacArthur from Toronto for Bernier. I think signing Conklin from Detroit as an UFA for a year or two would be good also. Other than those two scenarios I’m good. Ya, it would be nice to land Parise, Suter or Ryan, but we just the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. Don’t start acting like a bunch of spoiled bitches. We need back to back cups and then we can start being compared to Detroit, let Gagne walk, decide what to do with Williams, Brown, Scuderi, Greene, etc. This is just the beginning of what I hope is an epic fucking destiny!!!!!
Go KIngs, for 2!!!

Every time I see one of your posts you’re hysterical to trade away known, valuable assets in exchange for players we don’t need and who don’t fit.

Before we won the Cup you were anxious to deal off all the players we now have who won it.

It is clear that you are nervous and confused and over-victimized by wild speculations. What you need to do, Jason, is sit down, take twice your normal Thorazine dosage, and watch old I Love Lucy broadcasts. Don’t worry. We’ll hire someone to wipe your mouth when you drool or spit up.

Really, I’m the one that said Dustin Brown needed to be traded because he wasn’t getting it done. I’m the one who said Quick was the best goalie in the league and the Kings needed to sign him long term before he cost them too much. Look it up! If you tell me you knew Dustin Penner would actually wake up the last twenty games of the season and the playoffs the way he did, you’re full of SHIT!!
I was calling for trades before the trade deadline just like everyone else tuan!
The truth is Dustin Brown wasn’t getting it done and I was a proponent of the Kings getting Carter or Nash to wake up our stagnent offense.
It worked and Quick, well fuck off, you know the rest!!!! Vezina Finalist, Conn Smythe, Stanley Cup.
So wipe off your own fucking mouth and then shut it the FUCK UP!!!!!
I’ve left you and your stupid posts alone now leave me the fuck alone with your insults!!!!!!

PS, yes I had a brain tumor removed last September and still made it to multiple Kings regular
season and playoff games. That being dispite the fact the travel bothers my ear, head and neck because of the surgery.
So fuck you!!!!!

Yep, you can only take so much shit from someone you don’t even know before, enough is enough.
I’m not right all the time but, I’m not wrong all the time either.
Nothing personal, sometimes we just need to be invited to have sex with ourselves to re-focus.
It’s all for fun right.

As a (distant) past critic/insultor/verbal bull-whipper of Dustin Penner, I cannot resist this one. He was splendid in the playoffs, and has that history. He was weak in the regular season, and has been that in the past. He has also had better regular seasons. I figured he
would leave, with another ring and a good playoff showing, to a contender or near-contender that wanted him for playoff work and would take their chances with his regular season work. I figured 2 years @ 3 mil. per. I figured the Kings would not offer more than one year, and that they would offer no more than 3 mil, tops.

The Kings are getting exactly that with a coach that has had some success with him, and with
.25 mil. and a chance to carry on/defend the Cup in exchange for the short term of his K.
If Coach Sutter recommended his retention, then why not.

JT: DP proved he was a “gamer”. Kelly Hrudey was like that. The only point in the having a regular season is to prepare for and qualify for the post-season.The history of the Oilers, Flames and Canucks clarifies what counts here. By my own criteria, Penner has been excellent. You called it – cheers.

Bernier is an asset as the GM’s say and his stock is at it’s highest now.
If he plays well and doesn’t get hurt it may go up a little more but, is it worth the risk of him being injured during one of his 15-20 games?
I don’t think so.
He was a first round pick and he could bring us MacArthur who is a very good, proven player entering the prime of his career and he’s a left winger with some speed who finishes. He’s also an asset that could play every game not every 5-10 games like Bernier.
By the way, I’ll say it again, Bernier is overated!
Sign Johan Hedberg to a 3 or 4 year deal for about 1.25 million per season and you’ll be happy, he knows he’s the back-up. Bernier doesn’t want to be and that’s a big deal in the locker room.
There were times last season when Hedberg was better than Brodeur.
I watch hockey other than the Kings and I know what the fuck I’m talking about!!

Uh, his stock is absolutely not at it’s highest. Have you checked his stats lately? That’s what GM’s notice, his .909 SV%. They aren’t exposed to him as much as we are. His stock will be at it’s highest when he gets more games to showcase his talent next season. We’ll get a better return for him during the season instead of now.

Not that that’s a bad SV%, but his stat line shows declining numbers and this year dragging his career averages down.

Point is, he needs more exposure around the league, then we will get closer to his fair value. GM’s pointed out his limited experience (48 games) as reasons why they didn’t want to inquire about Bernier or make a strong offer to DL at the deadline.

If thou thinks rightly of the matter, it’s not much different from Quicker’s contract — that is, (I assume) $7-mil for each of the first 7 years, followed by three years of cap-conscious relatively low pay.

These numbers also show how close to the market DL kept his nose when working out the deal.

ill take penner for a year. one must give sutter the opportunity to make him work. jon b? i have a hard time accepting that anyone KNOWS how good he is or what he is worth. He aint the #1. but trading him or keeping as #2 both have unknowns. my opinon lacks depth, but he was far from impressive last yr. how does one gauge if keeping him or trading him works over this season or those that follow?

This is true for nearly every goaltender up to a point of diminishing returns of course. I know the day will come one day because Lombardi will have to trade him but, when it does, I will cry a little on the inside. JB will be a solid number 1 starter in this league. Goaltenders hold a special place with me and I watch and analyze them more than any other position. JB has the gifts and drive to reach Ryan Miller heights.

Bobby thanks for that insight..did not lnow goalies were your position of choice(quiet all!).
I hope Sutter gives JB some opportunity next season. I think it will happen as Sutter doesn’t have the pressure of having to get our team into playoff contention like he inherited last season.
Would like to see him shine like he did in Manchester.
GO KINGS GO!!!
WWTC!!!